Ironing-board and step-ladder



(No Model.)

J. H. WHISLER.

, IRONING B ARD AND STEP LADDER. No. 398,297. Patented Feb. 19, 1889.

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lRONlNG-BOARD AND STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,297, dated February19, 1889. Application filed July 21, 1888. Serial No. 280,623. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. \VHISLER, of Broadway, in the county ofRockingham and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Combined Ironing-Board and Step-Ladder; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invent-ion relates to an improvement in a combined ironing board andstep ladder; and it consists in the combination of the legs or supports,which are united together in pairs by cross-bars which have their endsproject beyond the sides of the legs to form stops, side bars betweenwhich the pairs of legs are pivoted, the ironing-board loosely connectedto one of the pairs of legs, hooks to brace the legs to the side bars, abrace-rod loosely connected to the board at one end, and eyes in whichthe hooked end of the brace-rod catches, as will be more fully describedhereinafter.

The objects of my invention are to combine an ironing-board and astep-ladder in a single implement and to connect the legs or supportstogether by means of the side bars, in between which the .imning-boardand supports will snugly fold when closed, and thus take up very littleroom.

Figure] is a side elevation of a device which embodies my inventioncomplete, the parts being so arranged as to form an ironing-board. Fig.2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a devicearranged so as to form a step-ladder. Fig. 4: is a plan view showing theparts folded together.

A represents the legs or supports, which are connected together in pairsby means of the cross-bars or rungs B, the two lower ones of whichproject at their ends a suitable distance beyond the sides of the legs,so as to form stops 0, which'catoh against the under edges of thecross-bars D, by means of which the legs or supports are joined togetherin pairs, and thus limit the movemen 0f 1-1 6 legs- The rear legs arejoined together at their upper ends by means of the cleat E, whichextends across under the end of the ironing-board F, and which haspivots G formed upon its ends to pass through suitable openings preparedto receive them in the upper ends of the legs. The front pair of legsare united together at their upper ends by the cross-bar G, which doesnot form one of the rungs of the ladder, because it rests upon the floorwhile the implement is being used as a ladder, and which is provided forthe purpose not only of bracing the upper ends of these two legstogether, but for forming a cross-bar under which the revolving button Hon the under side of the ironing-board F is made to catch for thepurpose of locking the front end of the board in posit-ion. Secured toeach pair of legs is hook, I, which, when the parts are being used as anironing-board, have their lower ends catch in holes made in one of theside bars,D, and thus lock the parts rigidly in position. The side bars,D, serve not only to connect the legs together in; pairs, but as fulcrain which the legs or supports turn, both when the parts are being closedtogether, as shown in Fig. 4-, and when being arranged to form a ladder,as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the cross-bars B form stops 0, so as tolimit the angle at which the legsA shall be set in forming a support forthe ironing-table by striking against the under edges of the side bars,D, and to limit the distance that the legs A shall move inside of thecross-bars D when the legs are folded in a line therewith, either forthe purpose of forming a step-ladder or when the parts are foldedtogether to be packed away or for transportation.

Then the parts are being used for an ironing-board, the legs are lockedin position in relation to the side bars, D, by means of the hooks I,and the ironing-board is locked by the button H. Y

The iron brace J, which is secured to the under side of the board F,passes through the loop or staple O, secured to one of the crossbars Bof the rear legs or supports A, but without engaging therewith. If thefront end of the board is to be raised upward, so that a garment can bepassed over it, the button H is loosened and the front end of the boardis raised upward until the hooked end of the brace J engages with thestaple 0, when the l parts only take up the thickness ot the side frontend of the board will be held in a raised 1 bars, B, and cross-bars D.

position.

\Vhen the parts are to be used as a stepladder, the hooks l have theirends loosened from the bars l), the legs or supports A are folded upinside of the bars D, the ironing;-

board F is set at a suitable an gle, so as to term a brace or supportfor the ladder, and the rod J is made to hook in an eye or staple, P,soeured to the inner side oi one of the side bars, I). To hold theladder and the boari'lrigidly in relation to eaeh other when the legs orsupports are folded inside of the side bars, the stops 0 strike againstthe outer edges of thebars and prevent the weight of the person upon theladder from forcing the legs or supports through the bars, to which theyare only pivoted.

\Vhen my invention isno longer needed For immediate use, the legs orsupports are folded inside of the side pieces from one side and theboard folded inside of the legs and the side pieces from opposite sides,so that the The parts are light, cheap, and durable, and, as they ean beconverted either into a stepladder or an irmiing-board, are a greateonvenienee.

Having thus described my invention, l elain1 The eonibination ot' thelegs or supports A, the eross-pieees l,'whieh project at their endsbeyond the sides of the legs, the side bars, between which the legs orsupports are pivoted, the iimiing-board pivoted at one end between oneof the pair of legs, the hooks I, the brace-rod fastened to the board atone end and hooked at the other, and the eyes in which the hook eatehes,substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I at'fi X my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN H. lVI-lISLER.

Witnesses:

O. E. lARG-LEBAUGH, GEo. S. ALDHIZER.

